Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
land managers. Institutional structures to provide education to rural residents have
not been developed. Mongolian leaders have recognized the seriousness of the envi-
ronmental problems that have emerged from mismanagement of natural resources
within the country, and have pledged to address social problems and invest in envi-
ronmental action. Since Mongolia was under the rule of Soviets for an extended
period of time, it is not surprising that a national plan was developed to correct the
problems identified as being associated with degradation of soil and water resources.
Unfortunately, the grand plan has not achieved much since 2008 because the govern-
ment does not possess adequate economic resources or human skills to influence any
of the major environmental problems associated with natural resources degradation
within the country.
The issues identified in Mongolia are the same as those observed in other lesser-
scale societies. The development of macro-level plans will achieve little without first
addressing the factors that contribute to environmental degradation in lesser-scale
societies. Unlike many other countries that have attempted to implement conserva-
tion programs via the provision of information, technical assistance, and economic
subsidies, Mongolia has relied heavily on a top-down program implementation with
national planning combined with local implementation. The approach has not been
successful because the model failed to address the basic causes of resource exploita-
tion. In Mongolia, poor people are operating farms with few relevant skills while
attempting to implement a national plan that calls for huge commitments of eco-
nomic resources and human expertise that do not exist.
15.3.4.4 Soil Conservation in South and Central America
Alwang and Sowell (2010) synthesized many studies focused on adoption of soil and
water resources conservation in the Andean Mountains of South America. Factors
shown to be significant in the adoption decision-making process within the region
are consistent with the traditional diffusion model. Unfortunately, most of the factors
have been shown to impede adoption.
Economic assessments of the impacts of erosion throughout the Andean
Mountains show that significant costs are associated with erosion of cultivated land.
On-site damage due to erosion of cultivated farmland has reduced the productivity
of land resources and has resulted in extensive off-site damage in the form of
siltation of roadways, ditches, and impoundments constructed to produce hydro-
electricity. Water quality has also been degraded. Concern has increased among
local and national organizations to reduce the degradation caused by use of inap-
propriate agricultural production systems. While many conservation technologies
and techniques presently exist to address environmental problems associated with
the use of inappropriate production systems, adoption of conservation production
systems among subsistence farmers within the Andean Mountains has been very
slow. Subsistence farmers have refused to change production systems, and the rea-
sons expressed for doing so are very similar to those noted in the discussion of the
traditional diffusion model.
Alwang and Sowell (2010) and Alwang et al. (2009) note that many erosion
control structures have been in existence within the Andean Mountains since the
pre-Colombian days. However, most of these conservation structures are in disrepair
